Vlka Fenryka – Hjolda!

Welcome to Iron Sleet, among many incredible projects, this is also the home of the Hunter Pack and the Return of the 13th.

The Vlka Fenryka

“The voice of Russ was the loudest of all, [Text lost] but Guilliman and Dorn gainsaid his counsel. To enter the Occularis Terribilis would bring disorder on the surviving Legions, they said, leaving Man vulnerable to both the xenite and apostate. It is said that Russ, as was often the way, took his own counsel and sent forth the Wulfen to hunt down Abaddon and his followers. Others say that the Thirteenth Great Company pursued the heretics of their own accord, as hounds at the chase who heed not the calls of their huntsman. Others still maintain that the Wulfen had been tainted by the Dark Gods and were summoned by their call to join the Traitor Legions in the netherworld”

Like so many of you, I’ve always been captivated by the god warrior Astartes, and over the years two Legions have captured my attention like no others. The clandestine special operatives of the XX and the hunter executioners of the VI. This is a return to my first love, the Space Wolves. You will notice a common theme with the Alpha Legion. Misunderstood heroes, hated but loyal to death and incredibly resourceful. The Space Wolves were the Emperor’s sanction and the 13th company the kill shot. So imagine the bravest, the most dedicated, those who paid the heaviest price of the VI Legion, Adpetus Astartes, Vlka Fenryka. A Warrior band of individual heroes and hounds, in pursuit in to the warp 10 millenia ago to hunt down Magnus and the rest of the heretic Primarchs. What would happen if they returned? With a very particular head in a very special box?

I’ve set out to create a beautiful collection of models, an exquisite set of conversions and hyper realistic, but moody paint jobs. A big part of my personality is to keep challenging, re-defining and learning with everything I do.

So what makes the Vlka Fenryka a new challenge from the XX Legion?

I’ve gone from a white undercoat and water painterly style developed for them to Black undercoat, airbrush, oils, zenith light and custom gloss levels. Think about it. Going from almost no highlights applied to almost no shading applied, while hopefully maintaining what makes my miniatures recognizably mine. XX Legion fought in moonlight, these have stepped out from the warp on the ruin of the 41st Millennium – I want you to taste the grit, gore and dust.

On the conversion side, I’ve kept my ongoing mission of scale, just a whole new level of scale (beyond what the insanity that was and is Legion). I finally get to go nuts on Forge World resin, and most importantly utilize the breathtaking Primarch models. Both of which I painstakingly avoided with XX Legion’s plastic only goal. There’s something to be said about the power of restrictions, and equally letting go once you’ve built the stamina and skills in a given area. I want to make XX Legion look crude in comparison, and Space Wolves built out of the box look like toys.

I feel almost like a movie director might, or so I’d imagine. The kind who writes his own stuff and shoots it too. Different pieces are coming together. Ideas need to be evaluated on a whole new level. Not just that a good idea is great, it needs to be the RIGHT idea. Something that enhances everything else in the “army”. I’m hand picking key drivers from Abnett’s Prospero Burns and Emperor’s gift by Dembski-Bowden, together with each and every edition of the Space Wolves codex.

The advent of this new Blog and getting to collaborate with two other miniature artists I admire so much is a very special reward. And I’ve saved a very special new model for this launch.

Without further ado, welcome and pleased to introduce Vosla Helclaw, called Slayer, called Threadtaker, Called Hjolda, 1st Scout. The Wolf responsible for the head in the box.

Hmm, I can start yelling how beautiful the models are (which they are by the way). However, that’ll just be boring brown-nosing. I really dig your thought process on the projects, which is something you should definitely keep on doing. But what I’m personally curious about are the stories of the characters you’ve created. So who are they? What makes them tick? Why should the viewer care about them besides that they’ve got cool models made? It’s one of the things I’ve always loved about Apologist’s projects and also Jackdaw’s Blood Angels (look them up on Warseer or B&C, depending on where you post).

They are all named and have stories and snippets written about them. I dot think you and Apologist might be the only people interested to hear them, but I promise to start sharing more of that. I’m working on the big storyline and then it will be fun to add to it.

I also second the call for story and background, it really helps to ‘finish’ a model off in my eyes. Regardless Migsula, you’ve created something special here, the group shot is a beauty. And the cold bleak palette is really working for me.
Incidentally, how does the Curze model scale up as a regular Astartes compared to the other Primarchs? He does seem a lot smaller framed than the others.

Curze is good size.. Works very well with the Gal Vorbak. Horus is great too. Manus started getting really big, but with the wolf, pose and big shield works well IMO. Vulcan is completely broken 😦 I did some work on him last night and he is on his way to such a cool character, but he simply wrecks the entire scale of the army, so I really must side line him. Thanks for the feedback 🙂

What a great group you have there. I really like the ‘monochromatic’ use of colors and subtle converting. Even the models you’ve started with are visually different as possible you’ve managed to make them to one furious collective.

I don’t know how you do it, but once again you have been able to dig out the true potential of these hyper-detailed beasts of Forge World. Somehow you are able to see behind the design, break it down and make it work out for you like if you’d made the thing in the first place. The redesign is so seamless I feel bit confused for time to time.

The use of crimson as an effect colour is just brilliant. It really brings life to the cold and dead gray. It was also good call not to fill the ground with snow. It’s very easy to overdo and very hard to master in this scale. When done wrong, it can easily make the whole setting naive and unrealistic.

I’ve always thought that the Space Wolves were quite insane idea in the first place. But you’ve proved my thoughts wrong. With their blood stained armours, fierce visages and barbaric postures they look as murderous as you could ever imagine.

With XX I avoided red altogether, even skin tones with any red in them, i.e.. no skin tone paints for ski 😉 This time I try to shy away from blue in anything but the most subtle hints here and there. I think self inflicted restrictions like that really help set the mood. And to be creative.

Migs,
Vosla Helclaw is stunningly detailed and superbly rendered.
In fact, the entire pack looks amazing.
Until now your first Alpharius has remained my favourite of your unique designs, but Vosla now supercedes even that masterpiece.
Bravo.

As to the new blog – well, what could be better than three amazing modellers/painters/craftsmen/artisans such as yourself and the Spiky Rat Pack combining into one exciting blog?

Thanks Lamby! Voila turned out alright 🙂 It wan’s until the very last minute, adding the Marks of Aversion painted in blood both sides of his head and the skulls that he really took off. Everything else, including the blood splatter on the base was pre planned, but that final touch transformed him in my own eyes.

Rhuncir Gorevlkae, called Lord Balewolf remains my favorite. That head with those canines is so chilling and running with the wolf I though was such clever way of doing a thunder wolf lord.

Please pass on the word about this blog! We are really hoping to gain momentum.

Your latest project has taken a while to grow on me, as you know. That said, this latest batch is absolutely amazing: The Curze conversion has to be my favourite so far — a perfect piece (an idiotic detail, perhaps, but that halved tilt plate really sells the model for me). And the twin LC guy with the beard and backwards-jointed legs is another personal favourite – he’s clearly corrupted in body, yet not in spirit.

I really look forward to see what you guys do together, both in terms of the absolutely fantastic models you always create, but also the ancillary stuff; background stories, illustrations, painting tutorials, and of course general musings about the hobby as an art/design form.

Hjolda is amazing, easily my favorite model of the pack. Although some of the Gal Vorbak based Wulfen (the charging, bald, bearded, dog-legged one, and the bloody mawed combi-bolter guy) are a close second. I can’t wait to see the “human” elements that will put everything in perspective.

This warhost continues to get better and better. You have created so many visually distinct and eclectic models, each with their own flavor and weirdness that captures the imagination. The excellent drab and dusty paint scheme really ties everyone together and gives a band of individuals unity. The careful placement of red really adds visual flair and imparts a level of ferocity that is perfect for the sons of Fenris.

Vosla Helclaw is hands down my favorite of the models. I think it is largely because of how natural the conversion looks; everything looks as it should be, as though it is not a conversion at all. All the transitions from plastic to resin are smooth and natural.

The pace you have been converting a painting all of these models is quite remarkable; you clearly have hit a vein of creativity and want to see it through to the end. I wonder if in the future you might be able to show some of your work-in-progress models, however? That way any sorts of suggestions and ideas from the community might be able to be incorporated/considered. I say this because I feel you are exploring such rich territory, territory that deserves discussion and musing. When you simply show completed models, there is less room for suggestions or sharing ideas; the models are done and it is time to move on. Just a thought; regardless it is exciting to see where this project takes you!

Thanks Eric! Very much appreciated your feedback. It gets into interesting territory. I guess the way I feed and get energized from feedback works well at interwalls of having stuff finished and then taking the feedback to the next miniature.

I’m not a strong believer in getting a wide range of opinions mid way and to some degree the originality of my work is really important to me. Sometimes somebody spots mistakes I miss, like arm positions on on the wolf Jarl that you or or your brother spotted by had been blindsided by being so close to it.

I will definitely share more WIP stuff though, and who knows, maybe it will work out nicely and feedback ends up in the mini rather than the next one. 🙂

Yeah you are right, it is a tricky balance as to when you should reveal a model. Perhaps just before you put paint on them? That way the model is virtually complete (maintaining originality), but if there are little suggestions, or things people catch, you still have an opportunity to consider them , rather then just living with it.

A Custodian is a excellent thought, that way you can take advantage of all the eagles and thunderbolts on the original model! I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Thanks! So many people have mentioned missing the old ones, which is nice to hear and odd at the same time 🙂 This should really be more than the sum of it’s previous parts. There is so much synergy and energy in our respective styles and backgrounds and we can have a cadence that will be worth visiting several times a week!

Fantastic looking collection of models. The limited palette of colors is really striking.

Thanks for posting lots of pictures too! It really allows me to look closely at the models. You could consider cropping some of the images a little more to remove the empty space in them. It would make it even easier for people to focus on and see them.

You have done an incredible job of integrating components of a vast array of models. I think what I find most remarkable is how well you chose and attached the heads on the models. This is particularly true with the Astartes without helmets. They just look so natural and seamless. Getting the heads right is often one of the hardest parts of any model (you make it look effortless, ha ha).

One thing that I noticed is that some of the barrels you drilled out on the guns look a little warped and awkward (centering is a little off on some too). You could consider trying to make them look more scorched and twisted. One would imagine their weapons have been used for countless ages and are battered and worn (despite their best efforts to maintain them).

Thanks Adam. Agreed on the Barrels. I broke a drill pit and the new one eats resin like no tomorrow and struggles with plastic. I did however find a smaller drill that murders plastic now and leaves better structure for preventing warping on bolster sized things. All of them will get my regular Tamiya soot treatment (already on the Iron Priest’s assault cannon) as soon as I get my replacement sponges I ordered. 🙂

Wow.
These are the most intimidating Space Wolves I have seen so far. Bravo, sir!
I’m sure someone has already asked you, but I can’t seem to find that question anywhere; how did you get that awesome-looking grey you used for the armors of your murderous bunch?